Short Trips, A Christmas Treasury 14.18: Animus, Zarbi, Menoptra, by Jim Sangster

This is an enjoyable little diversion. It introduces a game played by hatchlings on Vortis which is basically "Rock/Paper/Scissors" done as a massed playground game. When I gave the above description to Isaac he said "oh, let me guess how it works", and proceeded to describe the R/P/S component accurately, so Jim Sangster must have picked up on the unique characteristics of the roles! The only thing Isaac didn't get is the gestures and sounds, which isn't too surprising as I hadn't mentioned them. I won't go into too much detail. It's just a bit of fun - though it does describe an 'extreme' version! - and fits with the mood of the collection. I find it hard to compare something like this to a regular story, in much the same way I have trouble rating charity offerings and the like. The score below reflects the lack of substance more than the quality of the writing and game design.

By the way, note the spelling of Menoptra. This is actually the correct, official spelling, and I've been getting it wrong all through my reviews of The Web Planet. I could channel the tenth Doctor and say I'm so very, very, sorry; but actually I'm not. Mine looks better, lots of other people use it, and anyway it's Christmas so you should be charitable. So nyer.

Oh, wait, I'm wrong - it's Hallowe'en. So happy All Hallows Eve, everyone!

Except in books, of course, where it is actually Christmas - Christmas 2004, to be exact - which means the following sidebar isn't completely crazy:

Festivals, Part 1: Short Christmas Trips
Big Finish had been releasing Short Trips for a couple of years when they decided to do a Christmas-themed special. It's a bit unusual, including poems, recipes, and of course games alongside an eclectic mix of stories. More than 30 entries in all (so it's not particularly surprising that a couple fall in this run).

The idea was a success, and was repeated every December thereafter - except for 2006, when they published a Dalek Empire themed anthology instead. Which isn't as inappropriate as it sounds: at this point in the TV series the Christmas season has been host to Dalek stories for two years running, and the show will be broadcast on Christmas Day for the first time later this year - during another Dalek story. I'll have more to say about Yuletide Who when we get there...

Published:
Date: December 2004
ISBN: 1-84435-112-2

Rating:
4/10.

Next Time:
Assault on Platform Five.